Dustin Willcuts, 7, wipes water out of his eyes as Julian Willcuts, 6, pops up after diving into the water Tuesday at the Spellerberg Park pool in Sioux Falls. / Elisha Page / Argus Leader

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The Sioux Falls City Council approved a $47,000 contract Tuesday to create two conceptual drawings for both an indoor and outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park, after city officials said the drawings were needed to educate voters before an upcoming vote on an outdoor pool at the park.

But several city councilors and those opposed to an indoor pool at Spellerberg questioned the spirit of that move.

“I’m all in support of an indoor pool, but I think we’re messing with the spirit of what the initiative was after, we’re stepping into it,” Councilor Greg Jamison said. “This was an initiative brought forth by the people, and I don’t think they were ever intending for us to come up with a competitive option for them.”

Residents will cast their vote in April on a potential new outdoor pool at Spellerberg Park, spurred by petitioners who oppose the city’s hope to put an indoor aquatics facility in the park to replace the aging pool, which has been plagued by the need for numerous repairs.

Some city councilors who want to continue to pursue an indoor pool have said they want to continue working on a plan, with no particular location, instead focusing on how it would be paid for and what potential amenities it would have.

Legally, the council can discuss items that are educational and informative but cannot use public money to advocate for the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or take council action on any pool plan for Spellerberg until after the vote, city attorney Dave Pfeifle said.

Last year, the City Council requested that a concept for an indoor aquatics center at Spellerberg be made and dollars set aside for the work, but in order to be in the clear legally because of the pending vote, Pfeifle advised the Parks and Recreation department that a conceptual drawing of an outdoor facility at Spellerberg must be created as well, said Don Kearney, director of Parks and Recreation.

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“I think it’s important for everybody to realize how those facilities will be located within the park, whether it will be an indoor or outdoor facility,” Kearney said. “If you’re like me, pictures are worth a thousand words, and it really allows you to visualize what those facilities would consist of. The more information we can provide to the voters, the more informed and educated they can be on what exactly we’re proposing to build.”

An aquatics engineering consulting firm hired by the city to create a 10-year aquatics master plan recommended earlier this year that Sioux Falls build a large, indoor aquatics facility at Spellerberg Park within the next two to three years, citing its central location and size.

Councilor Kermit Staggers questioned the move to create drawings, as other items on the ballot haven’t had the same attention.

“We’re going to have a vote next April on snowgates, and I have not heard anybody say, hey, we’re going to go through and we’re going to have all this detailed information on snowgates,” Staggers said. “The last time we had citizens vote on a pool, we didn’t have anything like this. It was kind of like, vote on an outdoor pool, and that was it. Now, we’re getting all this additional detail and spending the money.”

However, some councilors say the drawings will help voters make an informed decision in April.

“Without having some kind of picture or design of what those facilities would look like, it would be hard for people to understand what they’re really voting for,” Councilor Rex Rolfing said. “We all need to have information to make good votes, and right now I don’t think we have all the information.”

Paula Johnson, spokeswoman for Save Spellerberg, a group opposed to an indoor pool at the park, said the city is trying to sway residents with “pretty pictures,” and is getting around the legality of the issue by calling it educational.

“Showing voters a picture is influencing, not educating,” she said, adding education would include a study of the cost to build, short and long-term operating costs, monthly and yearly maintenance and environmental impacts, among other issues.

“We’ve got to be realistic and not play games with people, because that isn’t right,” she said.

Save Spellerberg members say they do not oppose an indoor facility but think Spellerberg is not the place for it because it would hurt the neighborhood, including patients trying to receive care at the nearby VA hospital, and take up park green space.

By about October, conceptual drawings will be completed for both an indoor and outdoor aquatics facility, Kearney said.